LOUIS ZAMPERINI

PASADENA>> Louis Zamperini was a USC track star and Olympic athlete, survived a plane crash in WWII and spent 47 days on a raft adrift in the ocean, was tortured as a prisoner of war, received a Purple Heart, and is the subject of a best-selling book and soon-to-be released Hollywood movie.

One thing he hasn’t done in his epic 97 years is preside over the Rose Parade as Grand Marshal, but that will change New Year’s Day.

From the stage outside the Tournament House, Zamperini captivated the crowd of TofR officials and community members with his wit.

He said Laura Hillenbrand, the author of his life story “Unbroken,” wanted to speak to 15 of his college buddies and 15 friends he made in a Japanese POW camp for research for her book.

“And now after the book was finished, all of my college buddies are dead. All my war buddies are dead. It’s sad to realize that you’ve lost all of your friends,” he said. “I think I made up for it. I made a new friend — Angelina Jolie.”

Jolie directed the film “Unbroken” based on his life, which is set to be released Christmas Day.

When Zamperini met Jolie at his Hollywood home, he said Jolie hugged him and kissed him and told him how much she loved him.

“I stood there like a dummy and never said a word and the next day she brought me a good conduct medal,” he said. “The worst thing I ever got in my life.”

Dressed in a navy blue windbreaker, khaki pants and a USC baseball cap, Zamperini, waved USC’s Fight On symbol from the stage as the USC marching band played after his brief speech.

A troubled youth in his hometown of Torrance, competitive running instilled in him perseverance and discipline that would later help him survive.

He competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the 5,000 meters final, where he met Adolph Hitler.

Zamperini joined the Armed Services during World War II as a bombardier in the South Pacific. While on a reconnaissance mission, his plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean. He and a crewmate survived adrift in a life raft for 47 days in shark-infested waters. Near death, he was captured by the Japanese, tortured and imprisoned for two years.

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Zamperini, who after the war suffered nightmares and took to heavy drinking, became a born again Christian and forgave his captors. He began working with troubled youth and became a motivational speaker telling his story around the world.

Zamperini said he was surprised by the reaction to the book by young people.

“I can’t understand how young kids have read the book and it changed their lives,” he said. “Kids that were getting in trouble like I was.”

Zamperini’s son, Luke, said his father has cut back his speaking schedule, but is in good health.

“They told him at the end of the war, his experience in the life raft and prison camp was going to take 10 years off his life and he’s been trying to get those 10 years back ever since,” Luke Zamperini said.

The family forced him to retire his skateboard at age 81 and hang up his skis at 91.

Luke said with meeting Angelina Jolie, the movie coming out on Christmas Day, being the Grand Marshal on New Year’s Day and the Academy Awards a couple months later, a lot of great things are happening to his dad later in life.

“If SC can get into the Rose Bowl game and win, it’ll be a perfect year for Lou Zamperini,” Luke said.